Coupons on Smartphone Lead to In-Store Sales

The smartphone revolution has, ostensibly, made shopping on-the-go easier than ever. But according to new research by Forrester Consulting, quoted by eMarketer, shoppers who find digital coupons on their smartphones are most likely to switch to desktop or even visit bricks and mortar stores to take advantage of the savings - with only 25 per cent choosing to redeem the coupons on their mobile.

The June 2014 research polled US consumers who had discovered digital coupons on their smartphone in the past three months, and found that the majority (33 per cent) switched to a computer to make their purchase. 27 per cent chose to travel to a bricks-and-mortar retail location to make their purchase.

Only 14 per cent of those polled said they made their purchase on a tablet, whilst call-centre purchases and mail-order catalogue orders accounted for two per cent of purchases made.

The majority of these coupons were discovered through search (55 per cent) and email (57 per cent), though one-third of respondents cited coupon-related apps as a means of discovery.

Although the high percentage of respondents who decided to make their purchase at bricks and mortar stores seems to suggest convenience isn't at the top of shoppers' agendas, it may in fact be related to the trend for in-store product research on smartphones.

According to a January 2014 study by Thrive Analytics, also quoted by eMarketer, 97 per cent of shoppers in the 18-29 age bracket used their smartphone whilst in store, followed by 91 per cent in the 30-43 age bracket.

The older generation also seems to be smartphone savvy, with 69 per cent of those aged 54 or over saying they had used their smartphone in store.